


Breath of Heart

by Joxhaus



Category: Kingdom Hearts, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Crossover, Eventual Romance, F/M, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, Multi, References to Depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-11-07 21:13:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17968160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joxhaus/pseuds/Joxhaus
Summary: What would happen to a timeline of fated heroes... If beings from another realm of existence, invaded their world to bring more darkness to their reality? The heroes of Hyrule and their light will be tested by the Calamity and by the mysterious Organization XIII. Fortunately, they will not be alone in this fight. An unlikely Nobody will become their guardian, ally and maybe more.





	1. Simple Pleasantries

 

* * *

 

" _It is something that grows over time... a true friendship. A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger through time... the passion of friendship will soon blossom into righteous power through it, you'll know which way to go..._ " - Sheik (Ocarina of Time)

* * *

In this existence we live in, there are many different planes of reality beyond the normal world we live in. Multiple timelines for each existence, every world and every person; they are all vaguely connected by the heart, and the relationships that are forged between them. But... what would happen to a timeline of fated heroes... If beings from another world, or realm of existence, invaded their world to bring more darkness to their reality?

The world... or in this case, the fated kingdom of Hyrule has advanced in their civilization and technology over the years. The people in this kingdom have managed to usher a new era of peace and power, especially with the creation of automaton defenders known as Guardians. However, not all good things last, especially in a timeline bound by fate. A curse of pure malice and evil gave birth to the creature known as Ganon and like the legend continues to follow... two incarnations of this Kingdom's fated heroes would arise to end the calamity... to end the evil. Those two fated Heroes were known to be Zelda and Link.

When the calamity first came into the land of Hyrule... the fated Heroes were ready for the threat... knowing the cycle was bound to arise once more. In their preparation, they gathered several brave souls from the corners of their land, known as the Champions. These Champions piloted special Guardians known as the Divine Beasts and with their aide, the fated heroes and the champions vanquished the calamity easily.

However, even though they won their battle, the war was far from over. Ganon, did not perish from his defeat... and in his recovery and embarrassment he devised a plan to turn Hyrule's greatest defenses, via their own Guardians, against them... corrupting them and killing many of Hyrule's denizens.

This unexpected turn of events in the next battle... the heroes suffered immense casualties. Their champions perished and their souls trapped in the Divine Beasts they controlled. In the fields of Hyrule, Zelda and her chosen knight Link were fighting off Ganon's army of monsters... they were fighting for their very lives in preparation for the next phase of the timeline. The Castle of Zelda's descendants was lost to Calamity Ganon. In this struggle, the fated hero Link became mortally wounded, collapsing on the field.

Zelda: "LINK! No, no, NO! You can't die on me! You're the only one who can end the calamity! We need to get him out of here!"

Zelda made several attempts to have her remaining allies to get Link to a safe place, but the army of monsters were becoming much more aggressive, preventing the remaining soldiers from assisting her. Some of them were even slaughtered in the process. Zelda herself was struggling on the battlefield and their situation seemed rather bleak.

Zelda: "Impa! I need your assistance! Please get Link out of here! He needs to recover!"

The leader of the Sheikah managed to join the heroes in the field for their battles along with a small group of members from her clan. She took up Link's injured body but looked to the army that surrounded them. She was uncertain about a safe escape. In this timeline, the army that Ganon sent to destroy the heroes was beyond overwhelming and they were unprepared for their situation.

Impa: "Zelda, the army is much more dense than I imagined... We've lost more soldiers than expected... and without a break in their force, I won't be able to get him away!"

Zelda: "W-what... what can we do...?"

The chosen princess and leader of the Sheikah were severely outnumber and with only a few soldiers and Sheikah members left at their sides, the moment on the battlefield seemed rather hopeless for a way out. As the army drew closer, a flash of an instant several monsters on the front lines were torn apart and vanished by a quick unseen force. Impa's keen sight and senses noticed that there was a blur of what appeared to be a modest sized wire before it disappeared, ripping the front lines as they grew closer.

Impa: "What the..."

?: "If you surrender in your in your heart... then your existence will end here. Don't give in..."

In the short moment of an echoed dialog, a large void appeared in between the survivors and the horde. As the void dissipated, a mysterious figure dressed in a long black coat with various chains and ornaments decorating the front of the coat stood in front of Zelda and her forces. His face was hidden under a well designed hood... but he could see everything just fine. He also carried an oddly designed sword, one that was not seen in this world. This new change of events did not sway the monsters from Ganon's army but it seemed to make them more agitated.

Zelda: "Who... are you?"

In the moment, several monsters started to charge at the stranger, but before they got close, he swung his sword without moving from his position. The sword shot out further than its normal length spanning several meters, appearing to be more of a whip than a sword in the moment. It cleared out several enemies with only one swing and even knocked the army back a bit from a slight shock wave.

?: "In the reality of this world... the existence of the future... can only rely on the will of heroes... and the continuation of the cycle between light and dark... be ready to move to safety."

Zelda: "W-what do you mean?"

Even with their lines shaken, more of Ganon's forces approached. The stranger's sword retracted before he shot his sword into the ground. The ground shook the entire field and several massive wired blades ripped apart the ground, lashing down hell on the monsters. Like a legendary Kraken of the sea, dozens, and even hundreds of monsters were torn apart, eviscerated, and even turned to dust, leaving only a few of them left. Ganon's forces were reduced by a substantial amount, and what was left retreated from this stranger or curiously strayed from the pack, apparently not afraid of death. As the wires returned back into the earth, the snake sword eventually retracted back to a normal sword from the ground.

Impa: "Who... the hell is this guy...? No matter... Zelda, we need to move while the forces are diminished."

Zelda: "A-ah! R-right! Move out!"

Zelda ordered the remainder of her forces to move out and cover Impa and the Sheikah, as she carried the unconscious Link away to suitable cover temporarily. Zelda looked toward the castle, debating on her plan to distract and trap calamity Ganon in Hyrule Castle... But she noticed the stranger was still standing there. She didn't quite know why he was still here. While she thought about it, another monster tried to attack him, the stranger quickly moved and his snake sword would impale the creature from a distance in its whip form before destroying it. As the weapon quickly retracted to a normal sword, Zelda seemed rather fearful of him, seeing how one individual could destroy entire army on his own... but she wanted to thank him for his help. Realistically, her life, as well as Impa's life, her clan and the remainder of her soldiers... they were all saved through his actions. The wind blew lightly across the field; there was some unease as she approached him as calmly as she could. The stranger spoke softly to her, sensing she was a bit closer behind him.

?: "...Aren't you going to move along with the rest of your forces...?"

Zelda: "A-ah... yes... but... I-I wanted to thank you for your help..."

She seemed to be stuttering a bit being put in an unusual situation. She couldn't tell what the stranger's intentions were or if he was even considered "friendly". His voice sounded rather... sad. Even a bit mellow... or maybe empty. It only made her more curious about the individual. His back was still facing her, but hearing that she wanted to thank him... he was curious to understand why she would care about a random Nobody like him. He turned towards her, his face still hiding under his hood.

?: "You wish to thank me...? There... is really no need for such a thing. It would be best for you not to concern yourself for my sake."

Zelda: "W-well... I-I insist! Nobody saves my life, as well as the lives of others and leaves without appreciation! C-could you at least come with us for a short time? At least until we get to safety...? Please?"

?: "... You don't know anything about me... and you would risk having a stranger acting as a guardian for you for a short time? ... I am not even suppose to be here ... However, I will join you... but only because there is something else I must do before I leave..."

Zelda: "A-Alright... we should get going then.. a-and thank you again..."

?: "..."

Zelda sighed lightly in relief knowing he didn't seem all that bad. A few of the remaining soldiers and Sheikah stayed behind making sure Zelda would be protected on their short journey. The stranger walked with them but from a slight distance behind Zelda. She would constantly look back to make sure he was still following, she had so many questions... but she felt now was not the time to interrogate him.

When they reached the rendezvous point for their forces, Impa came up to the stranger and Zelda for a moment.

Impa: "Princess... I do hope you're okay... many of us suffered casualties... I checked on Link as well... he's in critical condition... I'll have to take him to the Shrine of Resurrection tonight."

In the moment another member of the Sheikah Clan waltzed up behind her sounding a bit distressed from what's been happening. Impa's older sister felt uncertain of her choice.

Purah: "Tonight!? Sister, I implore you! The Shrine of Resurrection hasn't been tested yet!"

Impa: "We don't have any other choice Purah..."

Zelda: "I have barely endured from the fighting... but Link needs to live! Do what you must to get him there. I'll take care of the remaining injuries of those who are here, as well as my own. Please Impa, Purah."

Purah: "... Very well Princess Zelda... The Sheikah Clan will do what we can to get him there safely."

Impa: "Are you certain you can take up that task Princess? ...And what about him? Can we trust this stranger...?"

Zelda: "Impa... he saved all of us... I don't think he means us any harm... You should at least be a bit grateful."

Impa: "I am... it's just... unsettling how circumstances just so happen to work in our favor, from one person we've never seen before... it's suspiciously convenient."

The Sheikah didn't seem to trust the unknown individual, her eyes darted over to him. He was quiet, observing everything that was going on around him... yet he was acutely aware of their conversation.

?: "I sense your distrust... it would be better for you to not carry that doubt in your heart... I do not mean anyone in this world any harm."

Impa: "So... you have sharp hearing... I appreciate what you've done for us today stranger... but... if I hear something has happened to our Princess while I'm away... I will personally hunt you down... Do keep that in mind."

The stranger did not respond to her threat, but Impa looked back to Zelda and nodded to her slightly.

Purah: "Sister, you can warrant out official death threats later, we need to get Link to the Shrine before nightfall."

Impa: "Yes... I know... we shall head out now... time is of the essence for him."

Zelda: "May the goddess Hylia protect you both and Link... Gods' speed... and be safe."

Impa and Purah both smiled to her and they made their way over to the coma induced Link, along with a few other members of their clan. They picked him up and quickly took him away from their camp, disappearing from view after a few minutes.

Zelda: "I... apologize for her over-protective nature... she means well... I promise."

?: "... it's understandable... you are... the royalty of this land?"

Zelda: "O-oh my... forgive me. I was so caught up in all the action I didn't introduce myself... I am Zelda, princess of the Kingdom of Hyrule. I-It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance sir."

She smiled as well as bowed slightly to him, being formal. The stranger was quiet for a moment, as if he were processing everything he's heard. He bowed slightly to her in response.

?: "I see... it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well your highness..."

Zelda: "Could I inquire what your name is, sir?"

Zelda's smile grew even brighter hoping to understand this person in more detail. The individual turned his head away from her. Almost as if he was trying to avoid eye contact for a moment. From her perspective, he seemed a bit shy.

?: "I'm... not quite certain if I should share my name just yet... my apologizes princess."

Zelda: "B-but why? If you don't mind me asking..."

?: "There is simply a lot that you need to be aware of... and one of my few reasons for even being here... is to warn you about a threat that has yet to come. Perhaps... after I do that, I could... possibly share my name."

Zelda: "Huh...? A-are you a messenger from the future or something? What do you need to warn me about?"

?: "You... could say that. I would refer myself as more of a guardian of sorts... and I must warn you... even though you fight a war with a calamity of darkness now. A second darkness is coming from another realm of existence... They will have an attire similar to mine... but know this: They will be your enemy. They are Organization XIII. The Seekers of Darkness... and they will bring more chaos and darkness into your Kingdom. So be cautious, and protect yourself from them... When your Knight wakes up from his injuries, he must be warned as well."

The princess was rather bewildered; she could feel her heart sinking as she processed this information. She was already aware of her fate to fight Ganon... whether she's ready for it or not. But now knowing a second threat would be coming to her Kingdom and her people... anxiety started to build inside of her. She became uneasy and weak in the knees. She sat down for a moment, breathing rather heavily. She was still physically worn down from her battle earlier, still rather injured so her exhaustion certainly wasn't helping.

Zelda: "A... A second darkness...? But.. how could we ever prepare for it...? My kingdom and our forces are already crippled, my friends... my Champions... all gone... my knight, critically injured... w-what am I going to do...? I... I-I can't do this alone..."

Zelda started to cry softly, lowering her head. A few of the soldiers nearby noticed this and were concerned, but were uncertain to approach. The stranger knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He could feel the unease and pain she was going through... and through a single touch he could see so much of her life... her friends, family... her successes, her happiness... and even her struggles and failures. Within a moment... the stranger started to feel something else. It was oddly familiar to him, but thinking back to now, he only wished to help her.

?: "I cannot stand to see a girl cry... I can feel the tension and pain you've held in your heart... and I understand all that you're going through princess... Just know you are not alone. Even with all the loss, the struggles... there will still be a bright side... even if it seems hopeless. As long as you... and your Knight... continues to live... all will go according to plan... you will be able to save your people... your land... your descendants... and you'll avenge your friends... your family. So do not let this darkness pull your heart down... it will only make your situation that much more difficult. Your Knight is more than capable to take on this second darkness... will it be easy...? No. Which is why I will have to warn him when he awakens... and perhaps your other friends too..."

The stranger looked down for a moment, thinking a bit to himself. He was rather familiar with how most of the events in this world and timeline would play out... and even though he shouldn't be in their world helping them... he was hoping to find a way to at least "bend the rules" a bit for her sake. He looked back to her for a moment. Zelda was still sobbing gently next to him. She looked to him, she seemed to understand what he said. Her crying slowed down to sniffles and the stranger handed her a handkerchief that he had in his pocket. Completely clean and unused.

?: "I will try to stay... to help you all for as long as I can... if it will help you princess... and here... you can keep this... you need it more than I ever will."

She sniffled softly and gratefully took the handkerchief from his hand wiping her eyes slowly. She was shaking a little, but she appeared to be calming down.

Zelda: "T-thank you..."

Within a few minutes she stopped crying, still only sniffling. For a moment, she managed to see a glimpse of his appearance from where she was seated. He was a young man... with one blue eye and his other eye seemed mixed in with blue and brown. His face appeared to have slight facial hair along his jawline and chin while also having faint markings lining down his cheeks like tear marks. His expression seemed empty or calm, it was hard to tell for her. Zelda attempted to give him back his handkerchief after she stopped crying. But the stranger shook his head.

?: "You do not need to thank me... and please... hold on to that handkerchief... you need to try and heal yourself up now... we can discuss more about the issue later..."

He had a very faint smile under his hood and he took out a small bottle from his coat pocket, placing it in her hand. She was still a bit shaken up from earlier but it certainly didn't help that she was still wounded.

?: "Here... this should help your recovery process... it's an elixir that I save for rare occasions or severe injuries..."

Zelda: "O-oh... I couldn't possibly take something like this from you... you've done so much for me already that could never pay back... and I-I-"

Her sentence was cutoff. The stranger put a finger over her lips and took the bottle from her for a moment. He popped the cork that was keeping the capsule secured and placed it back in her hands.

?: "You. Are. Injured... You will take this to speed up your recovery... and I will not take 'no' for an answer... understood...?"

His tone of voice shifted to be a bit more stern and serious. He even glared at her for a moment when he put the bottle back in her hand. He didn't care if she was royalty or not... he was determined to help her recover. Zelda shook for a moment and gulped silently. She was a bit nervous by his change of tone and serious demeanor.

?: "Please do not make me force you to drink it..."

Zelda: "I... ah... v-very well then... if you insist."

She gave in knowing that he probably wouldn't let her off the hook if she declined again... aside from the fact she didn't know what he was capable of and personally didn't want to push her luck. She cautiously took a sip of the elixir, before drinking the whole bottle within a minute or so. She closed her eyes for a moment and she started feeling a bit more relaxed and rejuvenated. The stranger could even tell more color was coming back to her skin. She sighed gently and looked at the bottle before looking back at him. She seemed even more impressed.

Zelda: "Well... you're certainly quite the savior aren't you?"

?: "...I'm just glad that you're feeling better..."

He had been kneeling for a while, but he stood back up and took a seat next to her on a medium sized rock. He wasn't looking at her though, just out at the distance. Zelda tilted her head a bit, still trying to figure him out but she wasn't sure what to ask him. Her train of thought was interrupted by one of her soldiers.

Hylian Guard: "Your highness... we require your counsel for our next move. Dusk is starting to approach and we still have a few injured."

Zelda: "Oh.. y-yes, gather the remaining forces and I will announce our next move in a moment."

Hylian Guard: "Understood your highness. We will await your orders."

The guard left them for a moment, Zelda stood up and turned to him.

Zelda: "I apologize... I will return in a moment."

?: "No need for apologizes... I understand, so do as you must."

She smiled rather sincerely and walked away from him for the time being. She addressed the remainder of her forces of her plans to retreat to a nearby village and to prep for her next move against the calamity. After her short rally she took the time to help patch up some of the wounded soldiers, occasionally flashing glances toward her new acquaintance. The stranger sat alone for a short time, he noticed the sky was clouding up even more, getting darker and even some distant thunder. No one was around as he spoke to himself.

?: "Sounds like we'll be moving again, once more... the sky is rather cloudy... close to rain... close to storm... will this storm see an eye of peace? ...or be a constant hell for the people here... only time will tell... the future, is rather foggy here."

He sighed gently to himself, gently feeling a raindrop hit the top of his hood. Zelda returned back to him afterwards, but she was looking at a Sheikah slate for a moment. Gently tapping on it a few times before it randomly flashed at the stranger.

Zelda: "Oh! S-sorry! I hope I didn't make you wait too long."

?: "Hmm... no... I'm fine... I can be patient when I want to be... but why did that just flash...?"

Zelda: "Hm..? O-oh... uh.. no reason in particular. I just misclicked a button on here. T-That's all... by the way. We're going to be moving again soon... I do hope you'll join us for dinner, yes...?"

The stranger seemed to see through her lying... but he didn't care too much since it probably wasn't a big deal... but he thought about it for a moment and personally he wouldn't turn down a free meal, especially if he didn't have to cook it himself.

?: "I... suppose I could... that sounds... rather nice."

Zelda: "It's the least I could do to thank you..."

?: "... By the way... you're not a very good liar."

Zelda: "H-huh? W-what do you mean!?"

She was getting a bit fidgety with the Sheikah slate in her hands and almost dropped it as the stranger looked towards her.

?: "I'm not mad or anything... but your expression and how you answered kind of gave it away... What did you really do...?"

He wasn't being entirely truthful himself, he was actually able to tell if someone was lying or not no matter who it was... an odd little ability that he believes comes in handy sometimes, but it's something he's trying not to abuse. But caught in such an awkward situation, Zelda's heart was racing a bit and she was rather confounded by how he was able to tell... but his reasoning made sense to her.

Zelda: "A-ah... w-well.. I uh.. might have taken a picture of you in my Sheikah slate... I hope you don't mind...?"

?: "Hmm... I'm glad you're being truthful now... but no, I don't mind... although, you could have just asked."

Zelda was getting rather flustered and embarrassed from being called out on such a small thing. She didn't think he'd notice or even understand what the Sheikah slate would do. The stranger smirked under his hood but calmly continued.

?: "Don't worry too much about it... like I said I'm not mad or anything... where will our next destination be though...?"

The princess took a moment to recompose herself and she flipped through the Sheikah slate again. She sat down a bit closer next to him and showed him the map of the land. Pointing out where they were in conjunction of where they would be heading.

Zelda: "Kakariko Village, to the East... if we get moving now, we'll make it before nightfall."

?: "Very well... I suppose we should get a move on then shouldn't we..?"

Zelda nodded to him and they both stood up. The stranger followed Zelda and her forces as they moved out and made their way towards Kakariko Village.

On the way though, Zelda took a hold of the strangers arm and made him walk with her. He started to get a bit flustered, but no one could really tell with his face still hiding under his hood. The guards were uneasy by Zelda's actions but they chose to watch the stranger carefully.

?: "... S-something I can help you with...?"

Zelda: "You still haven't told me your name yet... and it's rather impolite not to tell a lady your name after you save her from a hopeless situation."

The stranger was hoping she would have forgotten to ask his name after everything so far... but he figured it could only go on for so long. He was rather uneasy being pinned in this situation. But there was no escaping it, he decided to just accept the situation.

?: "I... uh... go by a few different names... I'm not entirely sure which one would be suitable..."

Zelda: "Well... I believe you'll have to share all those names then!"

He could feel a cold sweat running behind him. He personally hated all his names, but it was something he could not change. It was either that or lying to her... and to himself. He couldn't bring himself to completely lie in this situation.

?: "Well... fine... I will tell you the name I've gone by recently... sound fair?"

Zelda: "Hmm.. I believe that will be acceptable... so...?"

?: "My current name has been ' _Joxhaus_ ' ..."

Zelda: "Joxhaus? That's certainly unique."

Joxhaus: "Yes... I suppose so... I kind of hate all my names... I sometimes prefer to not even go by them."

Zelda: "But why hate them? Granted I understand 'Joxhaus' is an odd name... but I do like it to be perfectly honest! It seems to suit you... Does it have a significant meaning?"

Joxhaus: "Meaning? Well... sort of... although it's not all too important at the moment."

Zelda could tell he was trying to be a bit more open with her... even if it was just a few small steps at a time. She didn't mind being patient with him especially since they had some spare time.

Zelda: "Oh... I understand... But, it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance formally, Joxhaus! See? ... That wasn't so bad was it?"

Joxhaus: "Easy for you to say... So... how long are you going to hang onto my arm?"

Zelda: "Hmm... probably until we get to Kakariko Village. So, I expect you'll endure it."

Joshua: "It doesn't seem like I even have a choice..."

Zelda's smile was rather bright, even after everything she's been through so far today. Even from a completely hopeless situation, her fate to defeat Calamity Ganon will still live on thanks to her new companion. The Nobody however, was still a bit uncomfortable about his situation, but in the back of his mind he was a bit determined to help her... especially with a second threat on the way to interfere with this fated timeline. It will only be a matter time if the sequence of events fall into place like they should.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Plateau Heights and the Shine of Restoration, Impa and Purah managed to get Link into his recovery chamber before dusk. They were both rather winded having to haul him around for such a distance, but some things can't be helped. Purah calibrated the chamber to awaken him once he was fully restored in his health, while Impa left behind a spare Sheikah slate for him on the nearby console. They both started to head out and they looked behind them at Link's body one more time.

Impa: "Everyone's counting on you kid... don't take forever to wake up for us... Rest easy, Link."

Purah: "Everything should go according to plan Impa... Our restoration technology has not failed us yet, and once he wakes up, he'll put an end to all of this. I know he's talented and skilled enough to end this war."

Impa: "I sure hope so..."

Impa sighed gently to herself and they both left the shine. Locked it appropriately so no one would risk bothering him in the recovery process. Impa looked out to the temple that was across the way. She figured it would be a better place than any to spend the evening. It was already late and the sun had almost completely set over the horizon.

Purah: "Sister do we have to spend the night at the old temple? Couldn't we just relocate to one of the other shrines instead?"

Impa: "...did you pack extra sleeping equipment for the night?"

Purah: "Well... sort of. The clan brought along a few blankets and such and a little bit of food... I figured we were going to another Shrine after this... it just seems safer than being out in the open."

There was a slight groan in agitation. Impa pointed towards the temple again.

Impa: "Then we're staying at the temple... even though it's been abandoned recently since this war started... there should still be sleeping accommodations... and maybe a bit of extra food left behind."

Purah: "If it's abandoned, we'll have to check for monsters too... let's just get this over with then."

The two sisters and their clan moved forward toward the temple. As they approached, they could hear a ruckus going on near the temple. Several Bokoblins were running out of the temple... however, they seemed to have little black creatures covering them and attacking them. To the clan and the sisters, this was an oddly sight. Most monsters under Ganon's control like Bokoblins or anything else... didn't fight each other...

They witnessed a few of the Bokoblins fall victim to these shadow like creatures. Some of them even pressed themselves down into the ground and started moving across the field like shadows themselves. Impa drew her weapon being prepared for anything that would happen. All of the Bokoblins perished to this new, unforeseen enemy and they turned to see the Sheikah Clan. Half a dozen more sprang up from the ground behind them and the clan drew their weapons too.

Impa: "From one problem... into another..."

Purah: "You could say that again... what are these things?"

Impa: "Just kill them first... then you can ask those questions later."

The Sheikah fought off the stranger little creatures and easily dispatched them after a few minutes since they were seasoned warriors... but off in the distance, another lone stranger was watching the fight from a distance. Wearing a long black coat with similar chains and ornaments... with his hood up as well. He kept his arrowgun weapon pointed at the group. He had no intention on firing a shot at the Sheikah, or the shadows. He had a smug grin on his face, under his hood.

?: "Well... would ya look at that... Heartless in this world too now? I guess this world might have some potential after all. Too bad I can't play around with the locals yet... then again I would never complain about field work... but this does make for a good show.~"

He laughed a bit to himself and continued to watch the Sheikah for a time until they finished their fight. The clan entered the temple to set up their camp and sleeping arrangements for the night, Purah took several notes in her journal about what they just witnessed today, from Joxhaus and to the little black shadow creatures. She was rather excited that new things came around to keep her curiosity. While Impa was just satisfied they made it through the day... The evening was still very young and it had only begun.

* * *

Back in the south-eastern portion of Hyrule... Zelda and her forces managed to successfully make it to Kakariko Village by dusk... it was almost considerably night time by the time they finished settling in... Joxhaus seemed rather distracted and intrigued by the new culture he was surrounded with, but Zelda kept leading him along through the village to get their temporary lodging arrangements settled. She led him to where they would be staying for the time being, she even went out of her way to pay for the lodging expenses. The Nobody stared at her for a moment trying to understand her actions.

Joxhaus: "You realize, this is highly unnecessary, right...?"

Zelda: "I do not believe so... this is just my way of thanking you right now. I'm going to pay for your stay here and anything you wish to get while you're here. That will also include food."

Joxhaus: "...like I said, highly unnecessary..."

Zelda only seemed to chuckle slightly before turning back to face him. She leaned in and sticking out her index finger and pointed at him. Trying to be threatening and serious.

Zelda: "You've saved my life today and I will treat you tonight as my way of thanking you... and I will not take ' _no_ ' for an answer, okay?"

The Nobody chuckled very softly under his hood and sighed. He wasn't exactly taking her seriously... but since she basically stole his line from earlier, he decided to let it go.

Joxhaus: "Very well Princess..."

Zelda smiled and giggled, seemingly satisfied. She started to walk out into the village again, while tugging on Joxhaus' coat to lead him once again.

Zelda: "Good. Besides, I paid for you in advance... so please try to enjoy your stay here... and by the way, please just call me Zelda."

She looked back at him for a moment with a sincere smile and led him to another building that they would be eating at for the evening... as they took a seat and awaited for dinner, Zelda tilted her head at him for a moment.

Zelda: "Aren't you going to take off your hood...? I'm surprised you can even see with it being over your face like that."

Joxhaus: "I have been used to it believe it or not... but you do make a point..."

He pulled his hood back to formally reveal his face to her. Zelda's eyes widened a bit more as he did so. She took a moment to examine him. His hair was dark brown and the markings on his face were much more clear. They almost appeared as black tear lines streaking down his cheeks. He even had one distinct but faint scar on his forehead. It made her even more curious.

Their food came out to them shortly after and they started to eat for a little while. As they ate, Zelda kept making small glances at him. And oddly enough Joxhaus did the same, occasionally catching her looking at him. But to avoid any awkwardness, she did try asking him a few questions.

Zelda: "So... Could I ask where you're from?"

Joxhaus: "I suppose... I am not from this land... but that is all I will say. I'm just a stranger here."

Zelda: "I see... Why else are you here though...? I know you mentioned earlier that you were here mainly to warn me about a future threat... and that you weren't suppose to be here... could you enlighten me about that?"

Joxhaus: "Like I said prior to that... I am a guardian of sorts... I originally was a part of the Organization that will threaten your world... but, I changed my purpose and now I place my services to make sure all realities and timelines go as intended..."

Zelda: "So this... Organization. They're planning to disrupt my future?"

Joxhaus: "I believe so... I cannot exactly tell how it will happen, but I have to keep my eyes open at all times for changes."

Zelda: "If... you were one of them... how could I trust you?"

Joxhaus: "I'm not sure why you'd ask that question... you trust me now, yes? Because, if I were the enemy, I would not have saved you from earlier... or worse, if you wish to think about it?"

Zelda: "N-no thanks..."

Joxhaus: "Please don't misjudge me Zelda, I only wish for yours and this world's future to move forward accordingly, without the interference of the Organization. Their plans will only bring ruin to you and this world."

Zelda: "I do believe you... I just... wanted to be sure. Please understand... but I do sincerely thank you for all you've done for me today. I honestly do not know how I could ever repay you."

Joxhaus: "I do understand... So do not worry about it. Focus on your own safety and plan ahead moving forward."

Zelda: "I have already planned ahead, at least for my confrontation of Calamity Ganon. I intend on going home... to Hyrule castle. To sacrifice myself in order to trap Calamity Ganon inside the castle. He's not fully recovered his strength and it will only be a matter of time before he rages into our world again."

Joxhaus' eyes looked down and away from her for a moment. Self-sacrifice was not a topic he was very fond of...

Joxhaus: "I see... and there is no other way to go about it, is there?"

Zelda: "I'm afraid not... at least not one that I know of."

Joxhaus: "I'm going to assume you'll have to do that soon, yes?"

Zelda: "Unfortunately, yes... yet... I have some time to spare... but I truly don't want to go. I'm honestly afraid that I will fail my mission, because I know I'm not ready for it."

Joxhaus: "... fear and doubt are natural Zelda. No one would ever truly ready for performing a huge, world changing role like yours. Even if you believe you're not ready for it... you were still chosen for this role, because  **only**   **you**  can do it for the sake of this world. Just do your absolute best, and everything will go as planned."

Zelda carried a look of doubt and fear, but it slowly changed to a faint smile from his words of encouragement. Joxhaus knew it wouldn't be the perfect solution, but if she stayed hopeless, tragedy would only follow. He was well aware of how her powers would awaken appropriately but he wanted her to have confidence in herself, even though realistically she was struggling on the inside. She nodded softly though as she seemed to feel a bit better about herself and what she would be doing.

Zelda: "Thank you, Joxhaus... truly."

The Nobody only smiled and nodded to her in response. After their initial conversation they continued to eat. A few more minutes passed and they finished. Joxhaus was drinking some of the freshly brewed tea when Zelda spoke up to him once more.

Zelda: "Joxhaus... could I ask you for a favor?"

Joxhaus turned to her with a skeptical look on his face and set his drink down for a moment. He wasn't quite sure what this could be about but he didn't see the harm in doing so.

Joxhaus: "I suppose you could... depends on the favor?"

She smiled and scooted closer to him and whispered to him softly...

* * *

_Next Chapter: The Dawn of a New Day_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I want to thank my friend hyrulequeen and her boyfriend for reading over my first chapter early on and giving me their feedback.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter in my first crossover series. I am looking forward to this new story and I truly hope it becomes a nice little exciting experience.
> 
> So just a few small things to note that I wish to preface as we move forward:
> 
> The OC (Joxhaus):
> 
> \- My OC is an ex Organization member who chose to become a guardian of timelines and realities. (It was vaguely discussed.)
> 
> \- He uses a self-aware/living snake sword and uses a more complex fighting style that is slightly similar to Ivy Valentine from Soul Calibur.
> 
> \- Even as a Nobody in lacking true and appropriate emotion, he's still very kind and as considerate as he can be.
> 
> Zelda:
> 
> \- Just like the games, I want her to keep an important role in the story... and on top of that I want to have a little more focus on her here and there. (and yes there might be a minor romance that might occur between the two... We'll see how I feel about it and how I want to write the story later on.)
> 
> \- What did she whisper to Joxhaus about? ... wouldn't you like to know? ;P
> 
> Link:
> 
> \- I'm bringing this up now, just to get it out of the way. I'm probably going to make Link talk in this series. It makes sense for him to NOT talk in the games because there's visuals to work with... here in story and writing, with a lack of visuals, he needs a voice. (That and every other fanfiction work for Legend of Zelda has him talking usually. Seems rather fitting.)
> 
> \- ALSO I will NOT tolerate any criticism on there being no Link X Zelda stuff here. (For the sake of my own sanity please.)
> 
> The story moving forward:
> 
> \- There might be weird little time gaps either in chapter changes or within the chapters themselves. (But those will be stated in the reading.) Just as a forewarning.
> 
> If there was any questions about the story you wanna ask about feel free to ask. Please be respectful of your comments or questions to me about the story though (THIS IS YOUR ONE AND ONLY WARNING MOVING FORWARD). Thank you ^_^


	2. The Dawn of a New Day

* * *

 " _If you have a dream, don't wait. Act. One of life's little rules. Got it memorized?"_

\- Axel (Kingdom Hearts II)

* * *

100 years later... in the Shine of Resurrection.

A faint voice echoes to Link in his sleep. The machine he was placed in long ago started to drain out the liquid from within it. The time has finally come for Hyrule's chosen hero of light to awaken once more to finally end the calamity of darkness. In his sleep, all was dark around him. A golden light shined in his consciousness... telling him it was time to wake up.

Zelda's voice: "... Open your eyes..."

As he opened his eyes, they were slowly refocusing as he awoke from his restoration chamber.

Zelda's voice: "Wake up Link..."

The hero's bright blue eyes slowly moved from side to side, scanning the area around him while he was still laying down on his back... He could barely think straight after sleeping for so long. He questioned where he was at... since waking up his memories seemed rather fuzzy... He raised himself up slowly sitting up in the machine. Everything around him seemed rather dark or dusty and the only light sources he had for the moment, was the light blue glow of the machine he was sitting in... and the machine that sat above him.

Finally, he moved himself out of the machine and back onto his own two feet. He was only shaky for a moment but he felt oddly rejuvenated. Ahead of him, lied a door and a pedestal shimmering a blue glow as well. He made his way to the pedestal and gently touched it. The Sheikah technology reacted to his touch and started to move. The symbols on the pedestal shifted and turned and soon after the console propped up a Sheikah slate. Link tilted his head a bit in curiosity before reaching out and taking ahold of it. The voice was faintly speaking to him once more in his mind.

Zelda's voice: "This is a Sheikah slate... take it... it will help guide you after your long slumber."

The voice faded away and he examined it slightly. He felt that this was oddly familiar to him but he wasn't sure why... He's never seen it before... but the console moved a bit more back into place and the door started to move on its own. Opening a path forward.

As he entered the next room... he approached two chests and as he opened them, he received clothes were left behind for him. He had been walking around basically nude since waking up so he was indefinitely grateful. He took a moment to get the clothes on... and they felt a little on the small side in the sleeves and pant legs.

Once he was all settled, another one of those consoles were glowing in the distance in the darkened room. It was glowing bright orange, and as he approached it the voice faintly spoke to him again...

Zelda's voice: "Hold the Sheikah slate up to the pedestal... That will show you the way..."

He looked down at his waist where his Sheikah slate was located. He picked it up once more and did as he was instructed... Lining up the slate with the eye in the center of the pedestal. A small flash of blue light altered the pedestal's color to blue. Link returned the slate to his side and the machine appeared to speak...

Sheikah A.I.: "Authenticating... Sheikah Slate confirmed."

Soon after a surge of energy moved through the large door in front of him. The center eye, decorating the door glowed blue... slowly unlocking the door and opening it for Link...

Multiple rays of sunshine flew into the dark shine, almost as if they were guiding and welcoming the chosen hero back home... he walked in front of the entrance and let his eyes adjust to the light for a moment. The voice spoke to him once more as he prepared to leave.

Zelda's voice: "Link... You are the light- Our light- that must shine upon Hyrule once again... Now go..."

Link ran on ahead and finally exited the Shine of Resurrection... he walked up to the edge of the hill that the shrine was located on. He looked out and admired the beautiful view of the land Hyrule... The lost hero of light has finally returned home... And the whole world was his to explore. He looked to his right and noticed a lonely old man sitting by a fire along the road to a temple in the far distance.

Link started to explore a bit but in that process, he would walk towards the man sitting by the fire. He also picked up a branch and an apple or two off of a nearby tree branch. He started to eat the apple as he made his way to the stranger. The old man looked up as he noticed Link walking up to him in a rather calm manner.

Old man: "Oho ho! Well met, stranger! It's rather unusual to see another soul in these parts."

Link seemed a bit uncertain at first, but he figured a small conversation with another living being would be a beneficial way to figure out where he was.

Link: "... who are you...?"

Old man: "Me? I'll spare you my life story... I'm just an old fool who has lived here alone... for quite some time now. What brings a bright eyed young man like you to a place like this?"

Link felt as if he didn't have a lot of options in terms idle chatter. He had no clue where he was or why he was even here. He needed some answers, even if it took one step at a time.

Link: "... Where are we exactly?"

Old man: "Answering a question with another question? That is fair enough... As cannot imagine our meeting to be simple coincidence... I shall tell you: This is the Great Plateau. According to legend, this is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule..."

The old man stood up slowly, he appeared to be much larger and taller than him... he outstretched his walking staff, pointing out towards the temple in the distance before speaking again.

Old man: "That temple there in the distance... Long ago it was the site for many scared ceremonies. Ever since the decline of the kingdom about 100 years ago, it has sat there abandoned, in a state of decay."

He looked down a bit disappointed in the situation. He sighed rather softly before relaxing himself, looking back to the "hero" in front of him. The fire next to him was still heavily ablaze and even Link can still feel its heat warming his skin a bit.

Old man: "Yet another forgotten entity. A mere ghost of its former self... I shall be here for some time. Please, let me know if I may be of service..."

He returned to sit by his fire, reclining and taking a baked apple that he had sitting by the fire, cooking over the open flames. Link watched him for a moment longer... he was a little more at ease with the old man, knowing he didn't seem all that bad.

Link: "...could... I ask what you're doing here...?"

The old man gave Link an odd look. As if Link asked him a really dumb question. But the old man didn't seem to mind his curiosity.

Old man: "I am relaxing by the fireside of course... cooking a few baked apples... I would recommend if you find a simple food like an apple, try baking them sometime. They're rather tasty and nutritious... but I'll still be here if you need anything else."

Link gave the man a small nod and he left the old man alone for a while. He ventured out a ways and collected a few weapons and tools left behind on the grounds and made his way towards the temple ever so slightly; still eager to explore though however, he soon hear the woman's voice echoing in his head again. She was faintly telling him to move to a position located on his Sheikah slate map. From the distance he was at, he thought that he was only looking at an odd cliff-side hill or something... however, he made his way towards his destination. On the way, he encountered a few rogue Bokoblins, but even with a loss of memory, Link was still able to dispatch them easily. One of the tools he had found earlier was a woodcutters axe, which helped him out quite handily in combat. After defeating them, he took whatever resources they dropped and even their own weapons. Survival of the fittest right?

Link noticed an odd little formation by this cliff-side he approached. It had a very familiar pedestal in the crevasse of the rock formation... and what appeared to be a roof sticking out of the hill... the pedestal spoke out in its same robotic tone as the ones in the Shrine of Resurrection.

Sheikah A.I.: "Place the Sheikah slate in the pedestal."

Link seemed to look at the pedestal curiously before putting the Sheikah slate into it. The pedestal flipped the slate for a moment and started to read its data. A minor flash of light erupted from it and the eye symbol in the roof above the pedestal turned blue as the pedestal responded.

Sheikah A.I.: "Sheikah Tower activated. Please watch for falling rocks."

The ground shook all around Link and it caused him to fall back. In fact, the whole land of Hyrule was experiencing this earthquake... under Link's feet a large tower sprouted from below the earth and shot up into the sky. Along with it, several other towers erupted from the ground all around Hyrule. With the first activated tower, a bright blue light shot through it and into the sky as well. Link managed to get back up afterwards and he now found himself at the peak of the Great Plateau Tower. The A.I. spoke out once again:

Sheikah A.I.: "Distilling local information..."

From there, a large blue stone located above the pedestal started to glow, forming a bright blue drop of light at the very bottom of its edge. It dropped onto Link's Sheikah slate and his slate in turn started to glow as well.

Sheikah A.I.: "Regional map extracted."

Afterwards, Link took his Sheikah slate back, noticing that the map function had been updated and he could now see where he was located along with everything else around his general area...

He started hearing a faint voice again... and he finally saw where it was coming from... there was a faint light resonating from the large castle in the distance...

Zelda's voice: "Remember... Try to remember... You have been asleep for the past 100 years..."

Link started to approach the edge of the tower to get a better look at the castle and the light that shined in the distance... but the ground shook once more, startling him slightly and a extensive dark aura surrounded the castle... from that darkness, a massive dark creature started to buzz around the castle and its roar could be heard from every edge of the land.

Zelda's voice: "The beast... when the beast regains its true power, this world face meet its end..."

After a moment, the beast started to fade away back into the castle... the dark aura still covered the castle. There was a sense of unease, but the voice talking to him seemed to have a lot of faith in him.

Zelda's voice: "Now then... you must hurry Link, before it's too late."

He stared out to the distance for a moment to think about everything so far... he gulped slightly, finding the courage within himself... he needed figure out what to do next... he thought he might return to the old man... once he got down from the tower... but little did he know, he'd have an unexpected visitor. He heard a muffled clapping behind him and a voice he had never heard before.

?: "Well now... never in my lives would I have ever wagered a place so spectacular... hiding right under our noses... perhaps the Hylians were smart to play their hands with the Sheikah... well done in solving their mystery lad."

Link turned immediate the new voice that was speaking to him. A figure in a long black coat faced him. He had a hood covering his face and he seemed to be applauding Link. In his subconscious reaction, Link took out his current weapon and kept a stern eye on this individual.

?: "Oh come now... coming out of a coma, only gamble your life away again? Certainly not the smartest player... and you're suppose to call yourself a chosen hero? You should save your energy boy. You'll need it in order to handle the fate the cards have given to you..."

Link wasn't sure what he was talking about, but he only seemed to sense that this guy was bad news... he attempted to charge at the hooded individual... but he vanished as soon as he swung his ax towards him. His weapon's blade slammed onto the ground, almost breaking it. The figure reappeared behind at a fair distance... Link seemed to realize quickly that this guy wasn't normal.

?: "Careful now... you don't have the best hand in the world right now... but I do hope you'll proceed to make things interesting as you venture forward... if you have true courage... perhaps you can change the tide of this world's fate... or perhaps be lost to darkness... I sadly cannot stay to play this little game of yours right now... but before I go, I'll leave you with a little challenge..."

He snapped his fingers once and about five white, wobbling creatures appeared in front of Link out of think air. Their feet and hands looked like large needles almost and they had no eyes or distinguishable faces but they had zipper like mouths...

?: "I hope you'll enjoy this short little game of survival... and perhaps I shall see you again real soon."

He chuckled faintly before teleporting away in a quick void of darkness and the unknown creatures started to attack Link. They would spin and flail erratically, knocking Link around slightly... they weren't entirely scatterbrained like the Bokoblins.. but with all his might Link spun the woodcutters ax as fast and as hard as he could in a circle. Although reckless, his quick thinking paid off. This spin attack actually defeated those strange creatures rather efficiently... but as they were destroyed, Link accidentally broke his ax as well... he was fortunate that he had a few backup weapons in his inventory and he was glad he dispatched them before they caused any significant harm to him.

In his mind he questioned who that hooded guy was... and what those odd looking creatures were. He knew that they weren't good from the start... but he had a feeling in his heart that they weren't... normal. He couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter only spelled out a bad omen for his journey. However, he wasn't going to let that bother him... he had to push onward.

He took a moment to catch his breath and he took out some food from his satchel. He ate for the moment in his breather to regain a bit more of his strength. Afterwards, he prepped himself to leave, and he carefully started his descent. Link made his way down the tower, climbing along its grate-like structure and using platforms that were located on it and eventually made it back to solid ground.

?: "Oho!"

As Link started to walk away from the tower, he heard the voice of the old man approaching him. He was actually gliding towards him with a paraglider, landing a few feet in front of him.

Old man: "My, my... it would seem we have quite the enigma here... This tower and others like it have erupted across the land, one after another. It is almost as though a long-dormant power has awoken suddenly. If you do not mind me asking... did anything odd happen to you while you were atop that tower?"

Link: "... I heard a voice... and I was approached by an unknown person..." His tone was more or less concerned...

Old man: "Well now! A voice, you say? And a person...? Hmm... Did you happen to recognize this mysterious voice? or the person who approached you?"

Link: "..."

Old man: "It seems I have a lot of work to do as far as earning your trust goes... I suppose that's understandable... but I assume you have caught sight of that atrocity shrouding the castle."

Both of them took a moment to look towards the castle again in the distance...

Old man: "That... is  **Calamity Ganon**. One hundred years ago, that vile entity brought the kingdom of Hyrule to ruin. It appeared suddenly and destroyed everything in its path... So many innocent lives were lost in its wake. For a century, the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule castle, has managed to contain that evil. But just barely. There it festers, slowly building its strength for the moment it will unleash the blight upon the land and once more. It would appear that moment is quickly approaching..."

The old man looked over at Link once more, he seemed to have a curious expression.

Old man: "I must ask you, courageous one... do you intend to make your way to the castle?"

Link only turned to him and nodded as confirmation of his intentions.

Old man: "I had a feeling you might say that... Here on this isolated plateau, we are surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs, with no way down. If you were to try and jump off... well, no death could be more certain... or more foolish... of course if you had a paraglider like mine, that would be quite another story."

Link: "... paraglider?"

The blonde hero looked at him quizzically and seemingly interested. The old man chuckled faintly at his reaction.

Old man: "Oho! Piqued your interest, haven't I? Yes I didn't come soaring down here on my own feathery wings you know! Worry not though... I will happily give you my paraglider... but not for nothing... hmmm let's see... How about I trade it for a bit of treasure that sleeps nearby? ...come, let me show you something."

He led Link over to a nearby cliff. There were a few bodies of water and some broken architecture in the distance. But he pointed towards a glowing orange structure that was nearby.

Old man: "Do you see that structure there? The one shining with a strange light? It began glowing at the exact moment those towers rose up from the ground... I would think that such a place might house some sort of treasure, wouldn't you? The treasure, for the paraglider. A fair exchange, I believe."

Did he really have any choice? Link only gave the old man a slight nod before moving towards it.

From there, Link took time to make his way over to the shrine. On the way, he killed off a small camp of Bokoblins with a bow and some arrows he had found nearby. Even with amnesia... he was an excellent shot, with even the most basic of bows.

After defeating them, he took all of their supplies, weapons, shields, and food and noticed a small chest resting in the center of their camp. Glossing over it for a moment, he opened it and found a travelers sword. He seemed rather satisfied with an appropriate weapon and continued to make his way to the shrine.

He did have to make a quick swim over a decent sized body of water, but climbing up some of the broken structures, he reached the Oman Au Shine. Seeing a familiar pedestal in front of what looks to be a sealed doorway, he examined it and brought his Sheikah slate up to the eye of the pedestal. The pedestal itself reacted, and shined blue. The A.I. responded just like the others.

Sheikah A.I.: "Sheikah slate confirmed... access granted."

The sealed door opened up to him, and what looked like an elevator was inside the doorway... He walked up on top of it and looked at the glowing symbol once more and it started to move downward, as if it were reacting to him. Link soon became lowered into the shrine to start his first trial... he didn't know what to expect but he was determined to conquer the challenges ahead.. for the sake of this world's future.

Outside of the shrine another lone hooded figure stood outside of the shrine's entrance... different than the one Link faced before... only watching from the distance as Link ventured downward... since he had known that the "hero" of this land had finally awakened and started his destined journey in this world... he was curious to see how far he would go.

?: "The gears have started turning here once more... don't disappoint me, 'chosen knight'."

* * *

 

_Next chapter: Conflicting Perceptions_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Chapter 2 is down and out... and I apologize if it wasn't as eventful as the first, but there is more to come. This chapter was a bit more of a headache than the first, primarily because I started working on the awakening/tutorial portion of Breath of the Wild. And I didn't want to veer too far from the original story at all. So a lot of this chapter is basically the original dialog from the game, aside from a few minor changes here and there. And more or less my own variation of what I believe Link would be doing in his time Hyrule as he first wakes up in this reality.
> 
> Minor summary:
> 
> \- Link awakens from his 100 year old slumber.
> 
> \- He starts to venture out into the wild after leaving the Shrine of Resurrection, encountering the old man to understand where he is.
> 
> \- He finds his way to the hidden Sheikah tower, from the assistance of Zelda's voice.
> 
> \- After starting to realize what his destiny might be... he has a very short encounter with an Organization member for the first time. Once the unknown individual leaves him with a minor ambush of Nobodies, Link manages to fend off the strange new enemies.
> 
> \- Link ventures down from the tower, unsure of what he should do next... he wants to return to the old man for more answers, but to his surprise the old man finds him first. He discusses with Link about what happened recently, the towers, the voice, and the hooded figure.
> 
> \- The old man suggests Link could use his paraglider to get down from the Isolated Plateau... if he ventured into a nearby Shrine to retrieve the "treasure" that's inside it. "A fair trade".
> 
> \- Link ventured to the Shrine as suggested to him and lowers himself into his first trial... while another lone figure stands nearby the entrance keeping an eye on Link from the shadows. (oooo~ Foreshadowing/cliffhanger~)
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed! Again I want to thank hyrulequeen for the encouragement and support for this story. I also wanna thank you all for reading as well. I have seen a few favorites and follows and that's very much appreciated. ^^ I hope I'll be able to get more of this story out as I find more free time to work on it.
> 
> Until next time!


	3. Conflicting Perceptions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor blood warning later down the chapter. P.S. this is also one of my longest chapters so far. (Excluding both Author's Notes... 8542 words. Beating my previous longest chapter by exactly 100 words.) Anyway, enjoy~

 

* * *

 " _The heart has always been quick to grow; Each exposure to light, to the natural world, to other people, shapes this most malleable part inside of us... Nobodies are not different from us in that manner..._ "

\- Ansem the Wise (Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance)

* * *

Returning to 100 years in the past, the evening appeared to run by rather quickly. Even in sleep, dawn quickly returned over the horizon... but even a quick return of morning did not change the loud, yet distant roaring of Calamity Ganon in the distance. The spirit of pure malice doesn't appear to be capable of sleeping apparently. Most of the Hylians and Sheikah managed to sleep for the majority of the evening. Some soldiers and villagers however, had to take a few night watches to make sure no monsters would attempt to attack the sleeping village.

With everyone waking up in sheer doubt and uncertainty, there seemed to be a large amount of dread floating around the community... Zelda awoke frantically from a minor nightmare, but mainly in response to the distant roar of Ganon... She was still a bit shaken up by the recent events and she was uncertain how far she would be able to go... she was aware she needed to face Calamity Ganon... she needed to seal him away in Hyrule Castle in order to give Link time to recover... but she needed to return the Master sword back to its origins, the Lost Woods. When Link should awaken, he'll know where to find it. Or at least that's what her initial thought process was. If anything, she would have to use all of her power to make sure everything proceed according to the prophecy. She even considered directing Link when he awoke... but with Impa and Purah still gone and away from their homestead in this moment, Zelda didn't feel all too confident going to the Lost Woods alone in this task and she felt there was really only one other person left to ask...

She thought about what to say to Joxhaus as she dressed herself that morning... Most of her clothes were still in tatters after the recent battle to escape the community of Hyrule from the onslaught of Calamity Ganon and the possessed guardians... but she still managed regardless and left her suite to find many of her remaining soldiers as well as some of the villagers slowly starting to arise for the morning. In her perspective, everyone seemed to be struggling... she made her way to the cabin she paid for Joxhaus' stay. She walked inside and proceeded to Joxhaus' room, knocking on his door gently, but just hard enough to be heard.

Zelda: "Joxhaus...? Good morning. I hope you're awake. I wish to speak to you about a few things this morning if it's accepta-"

She opened the door to his room and found he wasn't there. There were a few odds and ends laying around in the room. Visible proof that he was there, but no Joxhaus.

Zelda: "Huh...? Where did he go...?"

The caretaker of the building came up behind her.

Sheikah caretaker: "Your highness, the stranger you paid for went outside before dawn. He left a note on my desk saying he would outside for a short time. I think he took a walk around the village."

Zelda: "Oh... thank you. I'll go look for him."

The caretaker smiled and went away to tend to her business, but before Zelda left his room, she found a book on his bed with an odd looking switch lock sealing its pages. She picked it up and unlocked it, taking a moment to read what this "book" was about. She walked out of his room and out into the village with it... she noticed a lot of the pages in the book she had found had unique drawings of different creatures she had never seen before. Most of them lined with small minor details and descriptions... or notes perhaps. There were odd black creatures called "Heartless", with longer, detailed descriptions and variations of them and the next set of pages listed "Nobodies" and the next few pages after that were on "Dream Eaters" and "Unversed". Towards the end of the book were notes and small sketches on the monsters of her world. Mainly Bokoblins and such for now... she seemed a bit fascinated that someone else had an interest in knowledge like herself.

After a moment of walking around the village, she finally found her new companion sitting next to a tree up on a hillside. She walked up to him, holding his book with both hands. He was sitting back, looking rather relaxed and from a distance he looked like he was sleeping. However, he had already sensed her coming up to him.

Zelda: "Joxhaus?"

Joxhaus: "Hmm...?"

Zelda: "You seem to be up rather early, or at least according to the locals."

Joxhaus: "Oh... yes... I do sometimes go out to mediate in the mornings... especially if I have difficulty sleeping."

Zelda: "I think we've all been having difficulty sleeping... but I'm here to ask a favor of you... again."

Joxhaus: "Before you do, may I ask why you have my visual journal?"

He opened his eyes and turned his head to look up at her. His eyes seemed a bit lifeless at this moment in time... it was even rather concerning for Zelda, but she decided to sit down next to him and handed him his book back.

Zelda: "Did you make the drawings in here? You have a very wonderful talent... and I picked it up when I went to check on you. I was... curious to know what kind of literature you read. But come to find out, you seem very knowledgeable, especially with these different creatures... and it fascinates me."

Joxhaus: "I see... you're interested in the kinds of creatures I have come across? Or just the knowledge I may have in general?"

Zelda seemed very faintly flustered at the idea. Although, Joxhaus appeared to be reading her like book. Her eyes darted away from him and she was a little fidgety for a moment.

Zelda: "Well... both actually... ah.. b-before I get carried away... the favor I wish to ask is... could you accompany with me to the Lost Woods...? Since Impa and her sister Purah haven't returned yet... I would be a bit more comfortable if you would join me. It should be a fairly simple and short journey."

The Nobody was a little quiet for a moment, but he responded reasonably to her question.

Joxhaus: "I suppose I could... but what do we have to do in such an oddly named place?"

Zelda pulled out her Sheikah slate and scooted closer to him to show him where they would be going. It seemed to be a gigantic forest in the North-east corner of Hyrule, located on an island. After showing him where they would be going, she pulled around a sheathe that she had on her back.

Zelda: "I would like to return the weapon of evil's bane, the Master Sword, back to its place of origin."

Joxhaus: "That was Link's primary weapon against Ganon and his forces, right? May I ask how he managed to fall, if he carried the true weapon of 'evil's bane'?"

She gave him a minor glare, puffing her cheeks slightly at him. She wasn't sure if he was insulting Link by being sarcastic or being genuine in his question.

Zelda: "No one is perfect... in our case, we weren't prepared for Ganon's second assault... We defeated him once before with our Champions, Link and the Divine Beasts... but even that wasn't enough to completely finish him off. When he attacked a second time, we suffered the consequences. My father was lost in the uprising... and with Calamity Ganon returning with vengeance and possessing the Divine Beasts, our Champions perished... soon after."

Joxhaus: "So... even a 'hero' can't be perfect... You were lucky that you and your knight managed to make it out of ground zero... even though Link had to suffer the consequences to protect you."

Zelda: "Yes... I owe him my life in that regard, but he took an oath to protect me through this, but according to Hylian prophecy, Link and I are the only ones who can permanently destroy Ganon... we both have to survive in order to build a new future for our people... I also have you to thank for my survival... So, will you join me once more Joxhaus?"

Joxhaus: "... I don't see why not... but how do you suggest we get there? I mean... I have my own personal ways to move long distances... but do you have a way to get us there?"

Zelda: "In fact, I do. When you're ready, we'll go, alright?"

Joxhaus: "Very well... Let me return to my temporary room real quick to collect my things."

He started to get up and Zelda followed suit with him and the two of them walked back down off the hilltop and returned to the cabin. Joxhaus took only a moment to collect his remaining belongings from his room. As he left, he sincerely thanked the Sheikah caretaker for her services before departing back outside.

Zelda was waiting for him patiently and as he walked up behind her, he appeared to be ready to go. She turned to him with a smile and as she looked back through the Sheikah slate map, preparing to go the Lost Woods, they were stopped by familiar faces.

Impa: "Your Highness!"

Purah: "Princess Zelda!"

The princess and the Nobody turned to see the returning leaders of the Sheikah village approach them from their journey. Zelda seemed happy to see that they returned safely. Joxhaus had no emotion in his expression at the moment. He only watched.

Zelda: "Impa! Purah! You have returned!"

Impa: "Yes your Highness and we have news to report... wait... are you heading off somewhere?"

Zelda: "Yes... I must return the Master Sword back to the Lost Woods, before I return to seal Ganon away. Joxhaus has agreed to join me in returning it."

Impa: "Lost Woods? I will join you as wel-"

Purah: "-Hey! Before we get too carried away, let me say what I need to say...  _Ahem_... Link was successfully placed in the Shrine of Resurrection and he will awaken when he's fully restored... but he was in critical condition... so there may be side effects when he wakes up. Also, we had an encounter with some strange creatures after we completed our mission."

Zelda: "Strange..? How so?"

Purah: "There looked like big black bugs! And they could flatten into the ground, moving around like shadows! They killed off a few of the bokoblin camps... but soon after they tried to attack us."

Joxhaus: "Heartless..."

All three of the ladies looked over to him a bit surprised he responded in their conversation.

Impa: "You know these black creatures, stranger?"

Joxhaus: "Yes... they are called 'Heartless'. They devour the hearts of people and other creatures who have been corrupted by darkness. They'll attack anything that isn't one of their own... the ones you probably encountered were probably...-"

Zelda: "-Shadows?"

Joxhaus looked at the princess rather dumbfounded and surprised. She giggled very faintly but kept her serious demeanor around Impa and Purah.

Zelda: "It was one of the first creatures I saw in your visual journal."

Impa: "Shadows... these things will become a serious problem at night... they'll be even more difficult to spot in the dark."

Purah: "So, if we're all done here, I'm going to go work on an experiment to see if we can handle this new little threat. I mean, regular weapons seem to kill them just fine, but if I can find anything else about them I'll let you know. Bye!"

With that she darted off back to her home on one of the higher hills to start her experiments and Impa sighed heavily. Slightly annoyed at her sister's choices.

Impa: "As I said... if you two are heading to the Lost Woods. I will... try to catch up with both of you there... I have a few things to tend to, since Purah's off in her own little world again..."

The Sheikah leader walked up in front of Joxhaus for a moment, staring into his cold, half-dead eyes for a moment. She had a serious fire burning in her eyes.

Impa: "Our princess seems to trust you stranger... but my threat from earlier still stands. Protect her with your life of I swear you won't get far from me."

Zelda: "Impa... Joxhaus can be trusted... sure, he's a little odd but... he's proven himself to me. Please give him a little faith."

Impa hesitated for a moment, but eventually backed off. She believed the princess' words but was still unsure of the Nobody. Her glare slowly faded but she still kept a serious demeanor.

Impa: "I... apologize Joxhaus. After all our kingdom has been through thus far... none of us can never be too careful... and Zelda is the key to Ganon's destruction, as well as Link. We need them to survive, for all of us to survive."

Joxhaus: "No need to apologize, I am well aware of your concerns. So, do not carry doubt. She will be kept safe."

Impa: "Good to hear... now I must be off for a little bit. I will see you two later... good day your highness, Joxhaus."

She walked away from them and toward her home in the middle of the village. Zelda sighed softly and lowered her shoulders. She seemed rather tense around Impa and she started to relax again.

Zelda: "I'm sorry she's so... intense like that... my family has personally instructed her to be a backup guardian for me if anything should ever happen to the Champions or Link."

Joxhaus: "She's just doing her duty. There is nothing wrong with her actions... my only concern is her preconceived judgments of me."

Zelda: "I apologize on her behalf... I can understand where she's coming from though."

Joxhaus: "So can I... anyway... Shall we be off?"

Zelda: "Yes, let's get this sword back home."

She walked up to the Nobody and held his arm for a moment as she played around with her Sheikah slate again. With a quick blue flash, he felt a blue light envelope both of them and they were being transported by the Sheikah technology. Their bodies dissipated like several strings of blue light into the sky and within a few seconds their bodies reconstructed in front of a small shrine located on the island. Joxhaus shook his head feeling a tad light headed. Zelda spoke up after the light faded from them.

Zelda: "Well... welcome to the Keo Ruug Shine located within the Lost Woods. ... oh... Are you alright?"

Joxhaus: "Yes... just a little light headed... let us get going."

Zelda looked at him a little worried for his physical health but trusting in his words, she placed her Sheikah slate back on her waist and she started to lead them from the shine and into the woods. There were a few bokoblins and a few other enemies in the surrounding area but Joxhaus quickly dispatched them without having too much concern. Bladed wires broke under beneath each of the enemies, constricting and tearing them apart or lashing at them viciously. They didn't have much issues with enemies as they traveled through the foggy woods. And only Zelda knew the correct path to get to the Master Sword's resting place.

Zelda: "So, can I ask you a few questions as we carry on?"

Joxhaus' expression was originally emotionless but it changed to one of innocent curiosity.

Joxhaus: "Yes? You may."

The princess smiled softly to herself and started thinking to herself about an appropriate question.

Zelda: "When you were originally with this 'Organization', what did you do when you were there? If it's appropriate to ask."

The Nobody looked on forward and sighed gently. Thinking about to those times as a member for the Organization.

Joxhaus: "I was a secret project in the Organization for a long time, but when I was indoctrinated as a member, my tasks were usually fairly simple. Recon different worlds as instructed or destroy Heartless or enemies in certain worlds. And in some rare instances, I was also tasked as a backup assassin..."

Zelda: "A-an... assassin?"

Her voice was a little shaky since she was a bit surprised by what kind of work he did as a past member for the Organization... but at the same time, she wasn't completely surprised especially from yesterday's events. Seeing how he completely annihilated Ganon's army without even trying... it proves that he's probably strong enough to take on a role of an assassin.

Joxhaus: "Yes... so don't worry you're in good hands. I won't let anyone touch you without them getting torn to shreds."

He had an odd little smirk on his face after that comment and they kept on walking through the woods. The Nobody was a little uncertain by the unsettling atmosphere of the Lost Woods but it didn't completely bother him either. Zelda herself always felt uneasy in the Lost Woods but she felt a bit better with him around oddly enough.

Joxhaus: "So, can I ask you something...?"

Zelda: "Yes you may."

Joxhaus: "Why do we have to return the Master Sword here? And not send it with Link as he rests?"

Zelda: "Well... I cannot risk the Master Sword falling into the wrong hands. And if Ganon's forces got a hold of the Master Sword... and Link in the same place... I fear the worst for him... and worse yet... I doubt we would stand a chance against Ganon and all would be lost... So, I would rather keep the Master Sword safe in the grounds of its origin. And when Link is ready to take up the Master Sword again, he will have to be tested by the Master Sword... so he can handle it once more."

Joxhaus: "I see... sounds reasonable."

He smirked and thought about what kind of magic would be behind the Master Sword... but figured he did not wish to test it for himself.

Zelda: "So... That weapon you carry... I've never seen anything like it before."

Joxhaus looked down at his whip sword. It was currently stationary in its normal sword form. He held it up for her to see a bit better. He changed its form and the blades fell from gravity, being held together by a retractable wire mechanism. He swung it around once and retracted it back into a normal sword. It had an odd glow and it shined ever so slightly in the sunlight.

Joxhaus: "In some cultures, it's referred to as a 'snake sword', but its mainly called a 'whip sword'... well, for obvious reasons... but, I can control it with my own powers... and in some cases it can act on its own to protect me... It's not always consistent, but it can react as quickly as I can."

Zelda looked at his weapon and gulped faintly. In her mind, it seemed like an extremely rare choice for a weapon and she could only imagine how brutally his sword could injure an individual... aside from how he could easily break apart an army monsters already with ease.

Zelda: "It... seems fascinating... what other powers do you have...? if its okay to ask."

He looked at her for a moment and tilted his head a bit curiously.

Joxhaus: "You seem rather curious about me, aren't you? ... why is that?"

Zelda: "W-well... I just wish to understand you more... is... that a bad thing?"

Joxhaus: "... well... of course not. Understanding and gaining knowledge is usually a good thing."

Zelda: "I'm glad you understand..."

Joxhaus: "If you must know... as you've seen from yesterday, I can summon bladed wires from the ground. They're specifically known as 'urumi' but... details, details... I can probably move faster than your kind here... and not trying to gloat... but I'm probably a bit stronger as well... I can also see someone's past memories temporarily through first time touch."

Zelda: "You're certainly are full of surprises."

She gave him an endearing bright smile, seemingly a bit impressed.

Joxhaus: "I can also see dreams in the same way, but I would have to focus more to access that. And my most noteworthy abilities... I can withstand some fatal injuries... and I can manipulate reality itself, however I see fit."

Zelda quizzically tilted her head. She wasn't entirely sure by what he meant by manipulating reality.

Zelda: "What does that mean exactly?"

Joxhaus: "I can... well, to put it as simply as I can, I can manipulate space and time just enough to alter how the world works around us. I can't do that very often because breaking the laws of space and time... well they have horrific consequences.. mainly for me."

Zelda: "That is rather fascinating... I am supposed to be our Goddess Hylia's incarnate... having the powers of her light to seal and banish the calamity away but... so far I have not shown any true potential or powers passed down by my ancestors... I'm still afraid of failing my people."

Both of them stopped walking for a moment and Joxhaus looked at her momentarily. His expression seemed concerned for her.

Joxhaus: "They're sleeping..."

Zelda: "Huh..?"

Joxhaus: "Your powers and true potential. I can feel a greater power of light sleeps within your heart. You are her incarnate, but I understand your frustrations.. be patient with yourself Zelda... you might even surprise yourself."

His tone seemed rather sincere yet playful towards the end. He gave her a hopeful smile; his encouragement gave her enough strength to believe in herself. She smiled back to him and nodded.

Zelda: "Thank you... and let's continue... we're almost there."

They continued their journey through the woods, but the air became a little thicker the further in they went into the Lost Woods. A hazy fog was obscuring most of their view, aside from the occasional trees. The two walked a little closer to each other, for their own safety and they eventually came across to something that looked like a clearing in the woods. There appeared to be a large circular stone slab in the center of the clearing. In the center of the slab, was a triangular carved rock that appeared to have a slit in the center of the stone. The Master Sword's original home.

Joxhaus: "This place seems... like it's radiating an odd energy..."

Zelda: "This place was blessed by Goddess Hylia herself so that the Master Sword's energy can stay refined and conserved appropriately."

Zelda took a few steps towards the center. She took the Master Sword out of its scabbard and lined it up with the slit in the rock before pushing it down into the stone as far as she could with her own strength. A light shined from underneath the sword and it appeared to radiate as it locked the sword itself in place. Zelda herself took a step back and knelt down for a moment to pray to goddess Hylia. Her Nobody guardian stood quietly nearby, looking around the environment... he could sense something familiar in the distance... that much was exceptionally concerning for him.

Joxhaus: "It could be just the power of these woods..."

He muttered softly to himself, and he shook his head almost aggressively. He was feeling a bit more tense as a mild breeze blew through the clearing. Rustling a few trees... the unnatural quiet was unsettling to him.

Soon after her prayer, Zelda stood back up and turned towards him, walking back to Joxhaus. She could see he was a bit tense... as if he had sensed something. She gently pressed her hand against the Nobody's shoulder.

Zelda: "Joxhaus...? Are you okay? What's wrong...?"

Joxhaus: "We should probably leave soon... something's not right here."

Out of an odd instinct, he took hold of the princess' hand and started to lead her out of the grove. She stopped him for a moment.

Zelda: "W-we don't have to return back to the shrine. We can just teleport ourselves back to the village."

In that moment, a gust of wind picked up and blew threw the forest and the atmosphere seemed tense. Joxhaus noticed that something was blowing in the wind aside from the few tree leaves... cherry blossom petals.

Joxhaus: "I don't think we're alone however..."

A faint humming noise could be heard in the forest, but with the fog, the view was obstructed. Joxhaus stayed on guard and Zelda pressed up against him... she pulled up a bow she had carried with her and a few arrows, ready for anything. The Nobody sighed, being a bit concerned about their current situation. Two gray figures flew out of the patches of forest. Based on their movement, they almost seemed like jellyfish or flowers flying up into the air. The pods kept spinning, opening up they became two Reaper Nobodies, spinning out medium sized, pink scythes. Zelda seemed rather shocked seeing these creatures she had never seen before, however they carried the same symbol that Joxhaus had on his sword on their heads. The symbol of Nobodies.

Joxhaus: "Wonderful..."

Zelda: "W-what..? What are those things..?"

Joxhaus: "Reapers..."

The two Reapers spun towards the duo; Joxhaus raised his free hand, balling his hand into a fist and fifty bladed wires sprang from the ground to protect them from their attack. A very faint shock-wave could be felt from the impact of the blocked attacked.

Both Reapers flinched, and were sent backwards by the retaliation of the bladed wires lashing back at them in self-defense. Joxhaus pushed on Zelda's shoulders, his eyes looking back at her.

Joxhaus: "Duck for a moment please..."

Zelda didn't even hesitate and did as she was instructed. Joxhaus spun once to build a quick momentum to strike back. He lashed his sword into it's whip form, reaching out and lashing at both Reapers twice.

The Nobodies retracted because of the attack. In their defense, they both raised their flower-like appendages over their bodies as a defense mechanism to protect them from any more slashes.

Joxhaus: "Zelda... do you have any fire arrows with you?"

Zelda: "Only a few..."

Joxhaus: "Alright... ready yourself to fire some of those few."

She nodded and prepped the few fire arrows she brought with her. Joxhaus on the other hand, retracted his whip sword again, before shooting it through one of the Reapers at a quick speed. The blade extended on its wire far enough to be sent past and through the Nobody's nearly hallow body, shredding its thin flesh. When the blade and wire exited its body, the whip sword wrapped its end around the Reaper. Joxhaus then used his own strength to spin the Reaper in a large circle at an incredible speed, knocking the other Reaper down to the ground, stunning it for a moment. With the momentum building and the speed increasing, the whip sword started extending gradually with the speed. Slamming the Reaper into several nearby trees and rocks, nearly tearing apart the environment around the duo. But with one quick reflex, Joxhaus swung the Reaper straight into the ground, destroying the first Reaper, but causing yet another unsettling shock-wave.

Joxhaus retracted his snake sword back into a normal sword form. At that time, the second Reaper started to spin itself back up into the air. While Zelda was still crouched, she peeked from behind Joxhaus and took aim at the Nobody with her bow and fire arrows at the ready, but the Reaper's erratic movements made it difficult for her to make a clear shot.

Joxhaus focused for only a few seconds to catch his breath, but in that same moment one of his hidden abilities started to work its magic. In his eyes, everything became inverted in color, and time slowed down. In his thoughts, he created three special trip wires in a secret pocket plane of reality. For the moment, they didn't exist, but as the Reaper swung its scythe and attempted to charge towards them, three loud snaps could be heard as the black wires broke from the hidden reality into their current one, wrapping up and snagging the Nobody. Binding, suspending and holding it in place in the air.

Zelda saw her newfound opportunity and shot three fire arrows at it in succession. The last Reaper squirmed in pain as its flesh was punctured and set ablaze, and with Joxhaus' bindings squeezing it tightly as well, the Reaper dissipated quickly and the wires that Joxhaus created flashed out of existence.

Joxhaus and Zelda both were breathing a bit heavier, still a little unnerved from what happened. Joxhaus turned to the princess and held his hand out to her, offering to help her up. She gratefully took his hand and sighed gently still holding her bow in hand.

Zelda: "T-those things..."

Joxhaus: "Those were called 'Reapers'... tactful, cunning, rather dangerous to be around. They normally exterminate targets in groups of three with a deadly yet elegant form... They can camouflage themselves perfectly in forested environment."

Zelda: "Those things... the Reapers... they appeared... disturbing."

?: "Disturbing? Or the unrealized beauty of darkness?"

A slightly sinister voice called out. Zelda almost jumped hearing it, but apparently they were being watched. Joxhaus figured a member from the Organization might be scouting out the area... or sent to watch Zelda... or to kill him. It was too soon to make any assumptions.

Joxhaus: "... figures... I wondered why there were only two Reapers. Show yourself."

After being called out, a void of darkness appeared in their way. When the shadows dissipated, a man with a long black coat similar to Joxhaus' stood before the duo. His hair was a rose pink color that rested at shoulder length. The smile on his face was less than inviting. Both Joxhaus and Zelda remained on guard, however Zelda herself seemed a little more scared seeing an Organization member for the first time. She didn't know what to expect.

?: "I never would have believed that fate would allow me to finally cross paths with you, Joxhaus... as well as the fated princess of light."

Joxhaus: "Number eleven... Marluxia... What do you want...?"

Marluxia: "I find it hard to believe that our second in command put up so much time and dedication with training a soon to be traitor... You could have made an excellent vessel. But instead you wanted to forge your own path."

Joxhaus: "What's it matter to you? You don't know  _anything_  about me."

Marluxia: "I did hear rumors of you before I was sent out long ago. You were quite the phenomenon, surviving death only to be reconstructed under the wings of Organization XIII as one of the few pet projects. Now.. trying to protect a timeline and world order. You are no hero protecting the maiden of light Joxhaus... You shouldn't be getting in the way of our plans if you don't wish to be destroyed."

Zelda was only watching and quietly listening to the exchange between the two. She was too nervous to speak, almost fearful that something bad might happen if she even tried to say something. The air was rather tense with a low gentle breeze.

Joxhaus: "This will still be  _my_  choice and even  _you_  can't change that."

The Graceful Assassin started to get annoyed with Joxhaus' attitude towards him. He figured outwitting him with deception wouldn't be so easy with him. But he figured out a possible alternative... redirection to another target.

Marluxia: "We do not seek to destroy the light, let alone harm it. We only seek to complete it. In a world filled with light, darkness must there to equal out. Otherwise, chaos will break out. Let the princess of this world's goddess achieve her goals for herself. With you being here... you risk negative consequences for interfering... and worse yet, you may alter her fate, for better... or for worse."

Joxhaus looked down for a moment, thinking about all he had said so far... it was true. He was never really considered a 'hero', and in his first life he saw himself as 'disgusting' for making one of his worst life changing decisions. And playing the 'hero' part in this world wasn't going to reward him... or at least that's what he thought. He knew for certain he would pay the price once his mission was complete... but in that moment he cast that thought aside. He did make a promise to Zelda, and he wasn't going to break it anytime soon.

In Zelda's mind, she too started to think about Marluxia had said. She started to question herself and her choices she's made thus far, since her war started... not only with Calamity Ganon but with herself. Along with that more concerns and doubts were planted into her mind and heart... which is exactly what Marluxia wanted. The duo both carried an expression of deep thought; Joxhaus didn't keep that expression for very long. He kept his focus' on the Graceful Assassin, knowing he was trying to get in their heads. He wanted to fight him personally, but not with Zelda being an open target for him. For now Joxhaus stayed on the defensive. He secretly started planting a few trip wires just to be safe.

Joxhaus: "... sounds like you haven't changed one bit. Do you honestly think I have the heart to believe your deception? Regardless of how much light and darkness there is in a world, or a reality; life and fate will usually find a way to balance it out naturally."

Marluxia: "Then answer me this: Why are you here?"

Joxhaus: "... to make sure you and the Organization doesn't disrupt or alter this world's reality or timeline."

Marluxia: "Then  _you_  will be just as responsible for this world's demise."

He raised his arm up for a moment and a single glowing cherry blossom petal fell from the sky and landed in the palm of his hand. Soon after the single petal flashed and transformed into Marluxia's large signature scythe, the Graceful Dahlia. He swung it down once and dozens of cherry blossom petals floated around him for a moment. Joxhaus remained on guard and held one arm out to make sure Zelda would stay behind him.

Marluxia: "Let's see how long you'll keep up your facade..."

He had a sinister smirk form on his face before rotating his body once, to swing his scythe downward. Sending a large energy blast toward Joxhaus. This action, broke all three of his trip wire traps. Joxhaus, out of instinct, pushed Zelda away just enough so she would be safe. He brought his sword up to guard at the last possible second. He managed to block it, but his block broke, knocking him back several yards. Thankfully, he landed on his feet but he was staggered from the hit.

Zelda: "Joxhaus!"

Joxhaus shook off the hit and as he stood back up, sword in hand, Marluxia had already stepped closer to him, pointing his scythe at him. Keeping a threatening, egotistical stance. Joxhaus regained his focus on fighting Marluxia, since Zelda wouldn't risk getting hurt. He was ready for a proper fight this time.

Marluxia: "Your ideals of 'honor' have made you weak."

That comment alone started to piss off Joxhaus. In his anger, his eyes shifted to gray and the markings in his face became swelled, making the veins around his eyes black. Marluxia swung at him again horizontally, but this time Joxhaus jumped above him and started to lash downwards twice at him with his sword in its whip form, before drop kicking him in the chest with both feet. This only staggered Marluxia, reeling him a distance backwards for a moment, while Joxhaus flipped back into a fighting stance.

In his past experiences with weapons training, scythes were only good at a proper and exact distance, which was normally close range. Joxhaus realized that Marluxia would only be able to hit him if he either closed the distance between them or used more successful "ranged" attacks. The Graceful Assassin threw his scythe aggressively at Joxhaus and vanished soon after. Joxhaus dodged the spinning scythe fairly easily, but sensed it started flying back towards him with aggressive homing. He got sliced on his side trying to dodge the second time, because the angle of the ongoing attack caught him off guard. He started to use his powers to bend reality just enough, so he would undoubtedly dodge Marluxia's remaining attacks. His scythe decapitated more trees and wildlife in the area and started turning the Lost Woods into a war zone. Soon after the last attack, Marluxia returned to the field catching his scythe.

Zelda was watching from the sidelines, still keeping herself safe from the fighting, but she felt like she needed to do something besides sit there. She felt it wouldn't be the best choice, but she prepped her bow and extra arrows while also thinking about the best plan of action.

Joxhaus shot his sword in its whip form, trying to stab at Marluxia several yards away, keeping him just far enough out of reach of his scythe. Closing the distance, the Graceful Assassin jumped towards him and swung at Joxhaus once more. His whip sword redirected itself quickly on its own and blocked the full force of his swing. Protecting its master as sparks started to fly off their weapons. After the block, the whip sword wrapped around Marluxia's right arm, allowing Joxhaus to throw him down to the ground and restraining him temporarily. Marluxia growled lowly at the circumstances.

Marluxia: "Hmm... this is absurd..."

He turned his head quickly towards the princess, seeing she had just shot an ice arrow towards him. He quickly vanished, leaving a few petals behind. Joxhaus' whip sword fell to the ground from gravity, before retracting back into its normal sword form. Marluxia reappeared a distance away and he cast his scythe away. Fixing his hair for a moment, looking at the duo.

Joxhaus: "Calling it quits already...?"

Marluxia: "I have already overstayed my welcome for the time being... I only wished to test you for a moment to get a feel for your potential... You have promise."

Joxhaus: "Like I asked for your opinion... but I will accept the compliment I suppose."

Marluxia: "Hmph... just don't let it get to your head... I shall take my leave... I hope your decisions to come, will give you the fate that you desire..."

The Graceful Assassin chuckled faintly and walked away from them into a Corridor of Darkness that had appeared behind him. As he disappeared from sight and the Corridor closed, the two found themselves being a bit more quiet. Zelda made her way up to him and the two looked at themselves quietly. Zelda gently touched a few burnt spots, some small cuts and bruises on his face and sleeves. She finally noticed his changed eye color and swelling markings in his face.

Zelda: "J-Joxhaus... A-are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Joxhaus himself didn't really feel any immediate pain but he closed his eyes for a moment, slowing down his breathing. He cast his weapon away and was calming down a bit. The markings in his face returned to normal and his eyes shifted back to normal as well when he opened them. Once he was calm, now he could start feeling the pain. He instinctively held his side that was in the most pain.

Joxhaus: "I'm... fine. Thanks for asking."

Zelda: "... No, you're not fine. You're bleeding! Please sit down, I need to patch you up."

She had noticed the gash in his side was his only major injury. Oddly enough he turned away from her and started to walk away.

Joxhaus: "I appreciate it... but I'll be fine... I promise, oka-?! AAH!"

Unexpectedly, Zelda grabbed him from behind by the arm and shoulder and moved him to a nearby tree, forcing him to sit down.

Zelda: "Why are you being so stubborn!? I will not tolerate any retaliation Joxhaus..."

Joxhaus noticed her voice was rather shaky when she spoke. To him, she sounded angry, but he could tell she seemed a bit more upset rather than angry... maybe a hint of worry? His external expression seemed sad, or perhaps a hint of disappointment, mainly with himself. Overthinking was one of his downfalls aside from assuming attack patterns. He figured the wound wouldn't be a big issue, since he had a modest healing factor, so the wound would probably be closed by the beginning of tomorrow morning.

Zelda pressed a cloth she had on hand against the open wound, applying pressure. It only took a couple seconds for it to be bloodstained. Joxhaus decided to just accept what she was trying to do.

Zelda: "Hold the cloth to against your side and keep pressure on it... oh Hylia... where did I put it? ... I'm not prepared for this..."

She muttered the last part to herself as she was scrambling through her bag of supplies, pulling out a few more bandage cloths and some minor first aid equipment. Joxhaus did as she asked and applied pressure to the wound, breathing a bit slower to make things a little easier for both of them. Zelda soon found a minor stitching kit and scooted closer on her knees up to him.

Zelda: "I hope you don't mind... I'm going to have to stitch up your wound. It won't be perfect, but it'll be better than nothing."

Joxhaus: "... well... alright. Do whatever you feel is necessary."

Zelda: "You're going to have to take this off though..."

She was obviously referring to his coat. Joxhaus rarely took it off, but if she felt it was necessary to help him, he did what she asked. He struggled slightly to get his coat off from how he was seated, but he managed. He wore a black under-armor underneath his coat, and it was stuck to his skin from the blood. Joxhaus knew this was just going to be a mess regardless so he looked up to her for a moment.

Joxhaus: "Could you pass me more of the bandage cloths?"

Zelda: "Yes..."

She leaned over and brought the bandage cloth closer and handed it to him. He took it in hand, prepping himself for what was going to happen next. He laid on his side to make the first aid process easier for her.

Joxhaus: "Thanks.."

Zelda nodded in response, she was still waiting to get to the wound. Joxhaus sighed gently; having to suck it up, he quickly ripped the under-armor up off of his wound, making it a little worse than it originally was. He was focused enough to force his mouth shut, so when the surge of pain rolled through from his sudden action he would utter a loud but muffled groan. His reckless action startled Zelda, almost scaring her, but she immediately started to tend to the wound. First, applying rubbing alcohol before wiping down the blood stained wound with one of the spare cloths. This caused another muffled groan from Joxhaus, but he endured it, soon applying his own cloth in hand against the wound after she cleaned it up, applying pressure appropriately. Zelda wiped her hands off and got the sewing kit ready.

Zelda: "Okay... You're going to have to move your hand..."

The Nobody sighed and nodded, sucking up the pain and prepped himself for the last part. He moved his hand and Zelda then took the next several minutes stitching him up. They both did a good job closing up the wound, it made the stitching process a lot easier. He still squirmed a bit because he wasn't used to this... that and he hated needles.

Zelda: "P-Please stop moving! I'm almost done..."

Joxhaus: "..."

He still kept his mouth shut as she continued, still lowly groaning where the pain was applied. She soon finished and sighed herself, admiring her successful work.

Zelda: "It's not perfect, but that should do nicely..."

Joxhaus soon slowly moved himself to sit up. Zelda took a hold of his arm in an attempt to help him up. He breathed heavily yet slowly. The pain was starting to subside.

Joxhaus: "Thanks..."

Zelda: "There's one more thing I must do before you get up. Now hold still."

He was rather surprised by serious and dedicated she was about this. She took the remaining cloth and wrapped it around his side, just to be safe. It would catch any possible blood spills. She carefully pulled his under-armor back down over the cloth, before leaning back away from him.

Zelda: "There... that should be sufficient, at least until we get back to a society... Please promise me you won't be reckless like that again."

She was looking into his eyes for a moment. He could tell she had a genuine sense of worry for him. He nodded slowly and sighed before responding.

Joxhaus: "I promise... I'll be a little more cautious. But in my defense, that fight was not exactly what I was expecting..."

Zelda: "I could tell... and... I understand now... why you wanted to warn me about them... you were telling the truth."

Joxhaus: "You didn't believe me before...?"

Zelda: "W-well... n-no... I-... I mean... I carried... some doubt in the back of my mind... but it was wrong of me to make false judgments against you... I-... please forgive me."

Joxhaus remained silent for a moment. He could sense she was telling the truth and that she felt bad about it.

Joxhaus: "No need to apologize Zelda. I do understand why you might have thought that. We Nobodies aren't fully accepted among most societies because of how deceptive and mistrusting we are perceived as."

He started getting his coat back on, Zelda tilted her head a bit in curiosity.

Zelda: "N-Nobody...? But... you aren't a Nobody... you're a somebody! Why would you think of yourself like that?"

Joxhaus: "A-ah.. no, no... that's not exactly what I meant."

Now she was confused for a moment, but as Joxhaus finished getting his coat on, he took out his visual journal. And Zelda started to realize what he meant.

Zelda: "Oh... wait... you mean,  _you're_  one of those creatures from your notes?"

Joxhaus: "Sort of, it's complicated, but I'll explain it as best I can if you wish."

Zelda sat down next to him but someone soon approached them. A familiar face finally managed to find them.

Impa: "Glad to see you're both still okay, but could I listen in as well?"

Zelda perked up, she seemed glad to see another friendly face. Impa did manage to get to the Lost Woods after her prior engagements with her people.

Zelda: "Impa! I'm so glad you're here."

Impa: "I hope he wasn't causing you too much trouble..."

Zelda: "No, we just had... well, an encounter with one of the 'Organization' members Joxhaus warned me about."

Impa: "Well... no wonder he looks like he just went through hell... and judging by the mess of the forest here... it seemed like a pretty intense fight."

Joxhaus: "Short-lived... but yes."

Zelda: "Impa... I fear they might be a bigger problem than the Shadows."

Impa: "... well we'll have to be more on guard then... but enough about that... Please Joxhaus, explain what you are."

Joxhaus looked up to her for a moment, then at Zelda. Soon unlocking his visual journal and turning a few pages into the section he labeled "Nobodies". He handed the book to Zelda so she could look through them. Impa soon looked at the journal from behind Zelda's shoulder.

Zelda: "They were the white creatures, with distorted bodies... And those floating Reapers from earlier?"

Joxhaus: "Also Nobodies... When the heart of someone becomes consumed by the darkness, normally that will cause the creation of a Heartless. But if that person had a strong will, they will still forge a Heartless. However, the shell that was left behind, or the 'body' as it's known in some cases, will make a will of its own. That 'empty shell' will continue to live on as a 'Nobody'."

Zelda: "So... these... odd creatures... were once the bodies of... people? Why do they look like that?"

Impa: "And if  _you're_  a 'Nobody', why do you look so normal?"

Joxhaus: "I would only hope you two never have to see the process of how a Heartless is born. That process distorts the body extremely by the time the former 'body' becomes a disfigured shell. Still a byproduct of darkness... But to answer your other question. The strongest Nobodies are capable of keeping their original form... That's why I look normal, rather than the ones you see here in the book or those Reapers. We even remember what our original lives were like before becoming a Nobody."

Impa: "All of this... seems... oddly disturbing."

Zelda: "Indeed... this is a lot to take in... even as a scholar, this seems to be very surreal... but... it's very much real."

Joxhaus sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head up against the tree, attempting to relax. Zelda looked over to him for a moment before looking back at his book. She wanted to ask more questions, but she could tell he seemed a little worn down. Considering what she's seen today, he probably needed to rest or relax now at the very least. She was however, much more intrigued by him and could see now that there was still more to him than she thought. Zelda soon closed his book and stood up.

Zelda: "Well... Let's get back to Kakariko Village. We can learn more about this later... will you need assistance getting up, Joxhaus?"

He smirked and managed to get up slowly. Zelda reached out, just in case he needed her help. He took her hand but he seemed strong enough to move himself up on his feet.

Joxhaus: "I will manage... but thank you."

Impa: "We'll set a course for Kakariko Village... Lakna Rokee Shrine should be the best place to warp to."

Zelda nodded and opened her Sheikah slate map. She grabbed a hold of both Impa and Joxhaus as she selected the shrine near Kakariko Village. The bright blue light soon enveloped all of them and they started to teleport back across the land from the Sheikah technology.

As they were returning, Joxhaus had a few thoughts roaming through his mind...

Joxhaus (inner thoughts): " _So much has happened today already... and the gears of fate have started turning. The Organization has already started their meddling so... I guess I made the right choice by staying here with Zelda... right? Although... I don't fully understand why she was so concerned for me today. I'm... just a Nobody. I'm not a hero... and I never believed I would be considered 'special' enough for someone else's own compassion... Why... why do you make me feel like a normal person...? Zelda... I truly don't deserve that honor..."_

* * *

_Next Chapter: ?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter three finally comes to a close and oddly enough this has been the longest chapter I've written so far for a story. Last chapter that was close to being this long was coincidentally Chapter three from Conflicting Reality: Fleeting Dream. It had a lot of dialog and some lengthy portions of action. But I did enjoy the majority of this chapter. I don't know if I should summarize too much about this chapter, since A LOT happened. There were some vital areas that I want to cover but... let's see... (Ah screw it, summary time.)
> 
> \- Zelda finds and looks into Joxhaus' visual journal. Seeing that he's a scholar in his own way, as well as an artist. But aside from that, she starts to realize there's a lot more going on with all these new creatures she's seeing early on.
> 
> \- She asks Joxhaus to accompany her to the Lost Woods to return the Master Sword to its origin grounds. Preparing it for Link in the future.
> 
> \- Short visitation of Impa and Purah, returning from their mission, and informing Zelda about seeing the Heartless for the first time. (THE RECKONING HAS COME!) Impa informs them she will join them there as soon as she's able to.
> 
> \- Using the Sheikah slate, the duo leaves to the Lost Woods. Joxhaus murders just about every enemy that moves within a 50 yard radius as they reach the "sacred grove". The home where the Master Sword first slept.
> 
> \- After returning the Master Sword back to its resting place, Joxhaus senses that they aren't alone in the woods anymore, noticing cherry blossom petals floating in the air. Two Reaper Nobodies appear to attack the duo.
> 
> \- Joxhaus takes down both of them, fairly easy even with the support of Zelda's bow and elemental arrows. Marluxia soon makes his appearance.
> 
> \- Marluxia and Joxhaus have an exchange. Being as deceptive as usual, Marluxia tries to get in their mind. His words affected both Zelda and Joxhaus in different ways. (By the way... I REALLY tried to make Marluxia's word choice and sentences important. Keep that in mind.)
> 
> \- Joxhaus shakes off his deception and the both start to fight. Joxhaus moved Zelda a distance away so she wouldn't get hurt, but he gets hurt from the encounter. Regardless, Joxhaus was capable of holding his own against the Graceful Assassin.
> 
> \- Marluxia leaves, realizing this fight was currently pointless for him. Zelda notices that Joxhaus is injured and requests to help him. Joxhaus was a little stubborn, insisting he was fine; Zelda soon forces her hand and makes him sit so she can perform first aid. Undoubtedly worried.
> 
> -Impa soon finds them and Joxhaus explains what he is, along with what Nobodies are. Referring to his journal before leaving Lost Woods.
> 
> Well, that's pretty much it for this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed this longer chapter! I hope the next one can come in soon! Until next time.
> 
> -Joxhaus


End file.
